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Bengal: Campaign Against Land Ordinance

The West Bengal Left Front will be launching a fortnight-long agitation against the ordinance promulgated by the Central government amending the Land Acquisition Act as also the Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation)(Amendment) Bill of West Bengal. Announcing this after a meeting of the Left Front on January 2, Chairman Biman Basu said that activists of the Left Front will campaign against both the ordinance and the Bill from January 5, in the entire state. Basu termed as sham the opposition of the ruling TMC to the central ordinance, as the Bill introduced by its own government goes against the interests of the peasants and those dependent on agriculture while favouring the corporates. Basu alleged that the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill was passed undemocratically without sufficient discussion in the Assembly and bypassing the opinion of the select committee. The Bill provides for control by the private corporate owners in the Agricultural Produce Marketing sector. Biman Basu pointed out that if the provisions of the Bill become a reality, private corporate owners will decide what crops the farmers should grow, how much land the farmers can cultivate, what will be the price and even from where the farmers shall buy seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. From the agricultural fields to market the entire process will be dictated by the private corporate interests. The Left Front also demanded that elections to Municipal bodies whose terms have expired be held immediately. A Left Front delegation will meet the State Election Commissioner on January 5 on raising this demand. HUMAN CHAIN ON 26TH JANUARY Protesting against the visit of President Barack Obama on the occasion of the Republic Day a human chain will be organised on January 26 in the state. The Front has appealed to all patriotic, democratic, anti-imperialist minded people to participate in this programme. The Left Front will also be observing January 30, the day Gandhiji was assassinated, as a day of communal harmony throughout the state. The Front has also demanded that the government declare January 23, the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as Desh Prem Divas and observe it as such. January 3, 2015